30 Activities to Improve Handwriting

Do you need new ideas and activities to improve handwriting? Of course, the best activity to improve handwriting is to practice. Although children who struggle with handwriting can be unmotivated to simply practice. These 30 activities to improve handwriting are wonderful to increase novelty and engagement when practicing handwriting.

This list is from the Handwriting on the Wall program © . Transform labored handwriting into legible handwriting with this 12-hour Handwriting on the Wall Program. This digital download was created by an Occupational Therapist with years of experience.

The Handwriting on the Wall program © is the theoretical and instructional combined segments of the Write Incredibly Now™ program which is an exclusive U.S. trademarked handwriting program of Children’s Special Services, LLC and designed by Susan Orloff, OTR/L, FAOTA!

30 Activities to Improve Handwriting at School or Home

• Write nonsense clusters – have students make up crazy words and read them out loud. Write or describe the definition of the made up word.

• Make up a “code” for secret messages

• Practice in groups of letter shapes ie lines, curves, etc.

• Write letters in shaving cream or sand tray

• Copy lists—short—of unfamiliar words

• Write rhyming words

• “I spy” games

• Painting the letters

• Making them in clay

• Cut them out

• Make them with Wikki Stix

• Make relief pictures

• Make “hidden pictures” with them

• Make up silly words

• Play letter games with grids

• Memory games with letters or words. Makes the cards yourself.

• Finish the letter pages (excellent for part-whole perception).

• Make a list and then alphabetize it

• Make a classroom game where you write a thing to do and “pass it on” each person adds one thing to do

• Letter basketball – write a letter or words on a piece of paper. Crumple it up and see if you can score a basket in the trash. First player to score 10 points in the winner!

• “Fast scrabble” with letter tiles, how many 3-4-5 etc. letter words can you make and write in 3 minutes—use an egg timer

• Cut out a picture from a magazine; give it a title

• Draw a picture, and explain it in 1-2 sentences

• Describe yourself with positive adjectives. Describe your peers with positive adjectives and phrases. These are two great activities to improve handwriting and positive thinking.

• Find a baby picture of yourself, what do you remember about being a baby?

• Wrap an odd-shaped box up like a present, write a short story about what they think could be inside

• Without looking, feel a letter in manuscript and practice writing it in cursive

• Guess the letter – Have the student close their eyes. Trace a letter on their back or hand. The student write the letter on the piece of paper. Try tracing words for the student to write.

• Write your own name without looking in different color pencils.

• Make abstract word or letter doodle art – write legible letters or words using different mediums on paper. Try fingerpaint, watercolors, poster paints, markers, crayons, pencils, and pens.

Need More Help with Handwriting?

If you like these activities to improve handwriting and need more like this, check out the entire Handwriting on the Wall program ©. It breaks manuscript into three forms and cursive into four using colors instead of directional cues, as well as gross and fine motor games. You get both the manuscript and the cursive programs in reusable workbook form for multiple use. There are games, activities and follow-up suggestions so that the child can individually continue the program after the 12 hours are “over”. There is plenty of room to add your own creativity too!

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